The Biggest Giver…isn’t Oprah.

Charity, strangely, has found its place in the primetime television contest show trend. Enter Oprah’s Big Give, a new reality game show. For those who may not be familiar with it, the premise is that several contestants are given an amount of money and a challenge to, “Give big or go home.” The end goal is $1,000,000 (though only viewers know this) and the title of “The Biggest Giver.”

In a rare moment of channel surfing this past Sunday, I happened to catch the most recent episode. The remaining seven contestants were each given $100,000 and told to give it away in one day. Sounds easy, but of course there was a catch. They couldn’t actually give cash away or spend more than $500 on one person, or $10,000 at one place.

Contestants’ competitive versions of charity ranged from buying computers, iPods and various electronics to donate door to door in an impoverished neighborhood to organizing impromptu shopping sprees at Target and buying $18, 000 worth of pet toys to donate to an animal shelter (Hello Seattle?).

After spending as much as they could in the time given, they returned to the resort to report on their day of donations. They were judged on their creativity, management under pressure and their stewardship of the resources given. The two who “just didn’t give big enough” were sent home.

Halfway through the episode, I caught the irony of watching it on Easter Sunday. I’ll admit I’m a sucker for analogies and parallels, and this was not about to be lost. I had already teared up during Extreme Home Makeover earlier in the evening and was feeling contemplative. As I sat in my living room, eating popcorn with chop sticks, my mind wandered to the Big Gift of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, and resurrection that we celebrate on Easter. It had been less than 10 hours since I had witnessed God moving in a beautiful and powerful way at MHC: Ballard, resulting in more than 150 spontaneous baptisms, so it was a logical connection. 

I was also intensely challenged to examine my own stewardship and giving. As usual, Oprah’s doctrine is not directly on target, but the concept isn’t too far off. Giving is completely Biblical. Though for the record, Jesus has outgiven Oprah by a lot.

2 Corinthians 9:7-9 (ESV)

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor, his righteousness endures forever.”